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How much will it cost? The fees for breast surgery can be located in the suggested fees . The fees for breast assymmetry correction can only be determined after a personal consultation in my office. Please call my office for an accurate price quote or make an appointment for a personal consultation to discuss your specific concerns. My suggested quotes include professional fees, anesthesia fees, operating room costs, house calls, before care and after care. They do not include hospitalization costs, prescriptions, home nursing care, preoperative history and physical examination, laboratory costs, or pathology fees. If you compare prices, make sure that you consider all these costs. In addition, breast assymmetry surgery requires some time off work for a safe recovery. I require complete payment two weeks in advance of all cosmetic surgery. What can I do to correct my breast assymmetry? Any of the breast surgery options can be considered to help improve breast assymmetry. The choice of surgery will depend on the initial breast sizes and shapes and your desired result. A personal consultation will be necessary to help you understand your best choices. Can different surgery be done on each breast? Frequently it is necessary to do different surgeries on each breast depending on the problem and the desired result. Common combinations are breast enlargement on one side and breast lift on the other or breast reduction on one side and breast lift on the other. Sometimes surgery is only necessary on one side. Is it abnormal to have different breast sizes and shapes? It is not abnormal to have differences in breast size and/or shape. In fact, most women have some assymmetry. It is common for women to be self-conscious about this. Some women are so self-conscious that they are always covered except when bathing. Fortunately, surgery can be considered to improve these differences. Will I ever be exactly the same on both sides? It is normal to have differences in breast size and shape. Surgery can reduce these differences but not eliminate them. It will be necessary for you to adjust to some breast assymmetry after your surgery. Will there be scars after surgery? Scars are part of all surgery. It is important to understand where the breast surgery scars will be placed. The position and size of breast assymmetry scars is determined by what surgery (breast reduction, breast lift, and/or breast enlargement) is done on each breast. These are easily covered with clothing. Will my bathing suit hide the scars? My goal is to place the scars in a position that can be covered by the bathing suit of your choice. However, fashion always offers bathing suits that may reveal some of the scars. What breast size is best for me? You are the best judge of this. You understand what kind of clothing you wear, how flamboyant you are, what size you were before having children, and what size you want to be. What cup size will I be after surgery? Unfortunately, it is impossible to predict exactly what bra cup size you will be after surgery. Cup size varies with bra manufacturer, bra style and chest size. Your consultation will give you some idea how your figure will change. What are the risks of breast assymmetry surgery? There are risks with any surgery. Infection, excessive bleeding, abnormal scarring, poor healing, slow healing, skin loss, changes in skin sensation, muscle or nerve injury, although uncommon, can occur with any surgery. Fortunately, most problems that result from such complications are correctable with additional surgery. Complications unique to breast assymmetry surgery depend on what surgery is done on each breast. There is a risk of loss of nipple sensation, which can interfere with sexual arousal and breast-feeding. You must understand your risk of complications completely before you choose to have breast assymmetry surgery. Will I lose feeling in my nipples? Although rare, complete loss of nipple feeling can occur due to nerve injury. This may interfere with sexual arousal and breast-feeding. Ten to fifteen percent of patients experience some change in breast feeling. This can include loss of nipple sensation. I have heard about so many bad things on television, is it safe to have breast surgery? There are always risks with breast surgery. When severe complications are combined with inexperienced surgeons, poor results can occur. I believe that breast enlargement can be done safely with a high degree of patient satisfaction. Serious problems are usually related to excessive surgery and/or medical problems. Most poor results can be improved with additional surgery. What can you tell me about this new technique that I saw on television? Everyone in America wants the latest in medical care. This is not always the best medical care. In addition, media presentations many times will leave out critical information about potential complications, quality of result, and FDA regulation. I am open minded when it comes to new technology but I would rather not use you to try out the newest techniques. How old do I have to be to have this surgery? Breast development can continue into the early twenties. When surgery is done before this time, there is a chance the surgery will have to be repeated. In addition, it may be emotionally difficult to adjust to the surgery during teen years. For these reasons, I suggest that surgery be postponed until eighteen years of age. How long must I wait after breast-feeding before I can have breast surgery? You must wait for three to six months after breast-feeding before you can proceed with breast enlargement. Reasons for this are increased risk of blood and/or milk collections. In addition, it is impossible to predict what the size or shape of your breasts will be once all the milk has passed. Will breast surgery increase my risks of breast cancer? No. Breast surgery does not increase your risk of developing breast cancer. However, all women are at risk for breast cancer. If you have family members that have had breast cancer, your risk is increased. Remember that breast cancer can occur at any age and a physician must properly evaluate all breast lumps. Do I need a mammogram before surgery? I recommend that you have a preoperative mammogram if you are thirty-five years old or older. I also recommend that you have a mammogram if you have any significant breast problems or breast lumps. Breast cancer can occur at any age and a physician must properly evaluate all breast lumps. Will breast assymmetry surgery interfere with mammograms? All breast surgery interferes with the interpretation of mammograms. It is important that you continue with monthly breast self-examinations. When you do have a mammogram, be sure to tell the physician or the x-ray technician that you have had breast surgery so they can do extra x-ray views, if necessary. For general health reasons I recommend that all my patients stop smoking. It is clear that smoking increases your risk for developing all sorts of cancers. Breathing problems like emphysema and circulatory problems including heart attacks are also linked to smoking. Smoking can increase the risk of coughing after your surgery that can lead to unwanted bleeding. Smoking also reduces blood flow that can result in skin loss during the healing period. When this reduced blood flow is combined with breast assymmetry correction, skin and nipple loss can occur. The deformity of the nipple and breast can be difficult or impossible to repair. It is always best to stop smoking. Other than acceptance or wearing external pads to camouflage differences in breast size in clothing, there are no other consistently safe choices. What additional procedures can I consider that will enhance the result? Surgeries can be combined to yield dramatic and complimentary results. For safety reasons, I recommend the length of surgery be limited to six hours and no more than two areas of the body be treated at the same time. Breast assymmetry correction can be easily combined with liposuction, breast lifting, and tummy tucks. It is interesting to note that nose surgery is frequently combined with breast surgery. Am I a good candidate for the surgery? This is a question that can only be answered after a personal consultation. Breast assymmetry surgery is suggested to women with breasts of different shape and/or size. There are other things to consider as well including psychiatric conditions, life stress, medical illness, obesity, and motivation. You should be a healthy nonsmoker, within twenty pounds of your ideal weight. Major life stresses (i.e. grieving a death and divorce) must be absent in your life. The ideal candidate is motivated by internal desires to look better. How many times can I have the surgery done? Each time surgery is done, scar tissue is created in the surgical site. This scar tissue detracts from the natural result. For this reason, I recommend breast assymmetry surgery not be repeated more than two or three times at prescribed intervals
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